Bit of a funny dismissal there - Ponting was giving some of the half-volley fodder being dished up the stick it deserved, then he appears completely surprised by one just short of a good length and plays a half-hearted slap in the air to Vettori.

Very good innings though. Looked like the Aussies were coasting nicely, but NZ are back in the hunt. I'd like to see Symmo unleash a bit, here, but there's only Clarke back in the shed before the tail (handy as Lee may be). So a steadier approach might still be the go for another five or six overs.

Bond back on.

"Youre known for having a liking for men who look like women."
- Linda

"FFS I'm sick and tired of having to see a bloke bend over to pick something up or lean over and see their arse crack. For christ's sake pull your pants up or buy some underpants you bogan because nobody want's to see it. And this is a boat building shed (well one of them) not a porn studio."
- Craig

I am genuinely worried that Franklin still has six overs and Astle has not yet been used at all. Bond, Vettori, Oram and Mills can all bowl 10, but that leaves us with six overs to give up to James and Nathan and I'm finding it hard to pick who should get most of them. Astle surely needs to bowl a couple to see if he can do any better than Franklin though, as the latter has been smacked around a fair bit so far.

Symonds looking really good and batting very intelligently so far - picking the balls to punish, and not getting carried away. Hussey not quite at his best though, and struggling a bit to force the pace.